Just about everyone who has a job or goes to school celebrates Columbus Day. After all, it is a holiday that allows a lot of people to stay home or take the day off. The question is: how much do you really know about Columbus Day? What significance does it have on you and your life?

History Lesson

Columbus Day is a holiday that celebrates a day, around 520 years ago, when three ships that were carrying Spanish sailors discovered the world that you know as your home. Chances are pretty good you learned a jingle in history class which rhymed “In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” The reason the holiday is called Columbus Day is because he was the captain on one of the ships – the Santa Maria – and technically the first person to set foot on the New World and claimed it for the global superpower then, the Spain.

How You Can Really Celebrate This Holiday

In addition to taking the day off and relaxing, make this a day to remember. Consider buying a Christopher Columbus ship charm in pewter to give to a friend or family member. Just because Columbus Day is not traditionally a day to give gifts, does not mean you cannot turn it into one.

If you have children, you should really consider getting them a Christopher Columbus ship charm as a gift. Use the gift as an opportunity to sit down with your child and talk to them about this holiday being more than just a day off from school. You can also use the gift as an opportunity to start a new tradition with your friends and family members.

After the ship charm, you can give some other Christopher Columbus trinket or charm as a gift. Before you know it, your family will celebrate this holiday by giving gifts to each other as a way to really celebrate the charting of the ‘New World’ that you now call home.